Amusement apparatus.



No. 867,506. PATENTED OCT. 1, 1907. 0. HEB-MANN.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV.19,1906.

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AMUSEMENT APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19,1906.

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No. 867,506. PATENTED OCT. 1, 1907..

0. HBRMANN.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15.1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1907 Application filed November 19, 1906. Serial No. 344,127.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, O'r'ro HERMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatuses; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to amusement apparatus designed for the purpose of performing certain feats in gravity, one object being to provide an inclined track having certain curves and interruptions or spaces between its sections and to combine therewitha car, which is caused to describe a loop the loop somersault while passing from one section to another.

Another object is to provide the track and car with novel devices which cause the car as it leaves the track to swing through and describe a complete somersault and to be turned from end to end 'while passing through space and drop upon a receiving platform.

My invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus made in accordance with my invention, and showing the car in various positions; Fig. 2 is a partial top plan view; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, taken on the plane indicated by the line aa of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a similar view, taken on the plane indicated by the line bb of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation of that portion of the track which causes the car to turn a somersault. Fig. 6 is a detail elevation.

In the embodiment of my invention, I provide a pair of upright frames 1, 2, which may be of the construction here shown or of any other suitable construction, and are here shown as provided with a common connecting base. The frame 1 is higher than the frame 2, is suitably spaced therefrom and is provided 'with'an inclined track 4, at the upper end of which is a platform 5, from which the car 6 starts to descend said track 4 to describe a loop the loop somersault between the lower end of the track 4 and the upper end of the track 7, which is carried by the frame 2, and to turn a somersault as it leaves the said track 7 and before dropping upon the curved and inclined receiving platform 8, which is supported by the lower portions of the frames 1 and 2.

The car 6 is of the general appearance of an automobile, but is of special construction, having the front and rear supporting wheels 9, 10, depending frames 11 under the body, inwardly-extending axle shafts 12, 13, journaled in said depending frame, and holding ,forms no function.

wheels 14, 15, on the inner ends of said axle shafts, respectively, and projecting inwardly from said frames. On the outer sides of the front supporting wheels 9, and concentric therewith, are pivoting wheels or rollers 40, which are journaled 0n the axle shaft that carry said supporting wheels. The holding wheels have their axle shafts abreast of those which carry the supporting wheels 9, 10, and disposed at a suitable distance below the same.

The tracks 4, 7, consist of longitudinal planks or rails 16 having angle iron side plates or braces 17, secured to cross bars or ties 18, which are spaced apart at suitable intervals and the lower ends of the rails of the upper track 4 curve and incline upwardly, as at 19, in order to cause the car which descends the track 4 by gravity to describe the course known as looping the loop somersault while jumping from the lower end of the track 4 to the upper end of the track 7. That is to say, the car, on leaving the curved and upwardlyinclined portion 19 of the upper track 4, springs upwardly and outwardly, front end foremost, turns a complete somersault in space, in contra-carwheel-wise direction, and descends, front end foremost, on the landing 20", at the upper end of the track 7, so that the car lands practically without concussion on the landing and no springs or other cushioning devices are necessary in connection with such landing.

In the present embodiment of my invention, I show a bridge 20, connecting the lower end of the track 4 and the upper end of the track 7 to catch the car if the latter, for any reason, should fail after describing the loop the loop somersault to land upon the upper end of the track 7. Otherwise, the said bridge persafety of the performer who descends in the car.

A holding track 21 is disposed between the rails of the tracks 4 and 7. The said holding track is indisconnected sections, carried respectively by the tracks 4, 7, and, as here shown, comprises angle iron holding rails 22, ties 23, to which said'rails are secured, posts 24 that connect the ties 23 and ties 18, and crossed braces 25, between said posts. In descending the tracks the supporting wheels 9, 10, of the car run on the rails 16 and the holding wheels 14, 15, of the car are opposed to the undersides or inner sides of the rail 22 and coact therewith to prevent the car from leaving the tracks, excepting where the car loops the loop in passing from the track 4 to the track 7.

. At the landing 20 at the upper end of the track 7 are upwardly diverging guide rails 26, here shown as carried by the inwardly-bent arms 27 of posts 28, which posts are secured to certain of the ties 18 at points without the rails 16, as at 29, are braced by means of braces 30, and the arms 27 of which posts It is used solely to insure the overhang and are appropriately spaced from said rails 16. The said guard rails coact with plates 31, with which the car is provided at its front end to direct the car after describing the loop the loop somersault onto the rails of the lower track 7.

The lower end of the track 7 curves downwardly and the holding rails are curved concentrically with the rails of said track 7 and terminate in pivotally-mounted sections 32, the pivots 34 of which are nearer their outer ends than their inner ends. The said holding rails are adapted to turn in vertical planes to a limited extent. The said pivoted holding rails 33 coact with an inclined track 35 and drop stops 36 to cause the car, after it leaves the track 7, to swing through a somersault and turn end for end before alighting on the platform 8. The rails of said inclined track extend upwardly from a point below the terminal holding rails of the track 7 toward the frame 1, and their outer ends are substantially horizontal, as at 37, and provided with drop terminals 38. Above and spaced from the outer ends of the drop terminals of the inclined track rails 35 are the drop stops 36, which coact therewith to form S-shaped pivoting guide and drop-ways 39 to coact with the pivoting wheels 40 of the car to cause said car to swing and turn such somersault.

As the car passes over the lower, reversely-curved, depending end of the track 7, with its holding wheels engaged with the similarly-curved holding rails, the car turns upsidedown and end for end. As its front holding wheels 14 run upon the pivoted rails 32, the centrifugal force keeps said pivoted rails closed until said front holding wheels reach the shorter, terminal arms of said pivoted rails, whereupon said rails are turned to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, with their longer arms raised and their shorter, outer arms lowered, and such pivoted rails by thus turning, cause the front holding wheels 14 to run upon the track 35, and the rear holding wheels to drop from the terminal ends of the fixed holding track rails. Hence, the rear end of the inverted car becomes unsupported, while the front holding wheels thereof run upon the track 35. The inclined position of such track 35 causes the speed of the car to be reduced as its front holding wheels ascend such track. As the front end of the car nears the terminal, elevated ends of the rails of such track, its pivoting wheels 40 enter the pivoting guide and drop-ways 39. The depending arms of such ways by engagement with such pivoting wheels, for an instant arrest the latter, and hence the front end of the car, cause such pivoting wheels and the front end of the car to drop, until such pivoting wheels reach the drop terminals. 38, which serve to guide such drop wheels and to release the same, with the result that the car swings through a complete somersault, re-

Verses end for end, and alights upon the platform 8, which it then descends, front end foremost.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is,

1. In an amusement apparatus, an inclined track provided with an interruption or jump, a platform spaced from said interruption or jump and having guide devices which diverge laterally toward said space, and a lower track leading from said platform, in combination with a vehicle to descend said inclined track, rise over the space and alight upon said platform, said laterally diverging de vices serving to guide the vehicle onto the lower track.

2. The combination of a car having lfront and rear sup porting wheels, front pivoting elements at the centers of and projecting outwardly from said front supporting wheels, a track having downwardly curved reversely bent rails for the supporting wheels of the ear, shnilarly'dis' posed holding" rails for coaction with the holding elements of the car, pivoted terminal rails for said holding rails. an inclined track for coaction with the front holding wheels of the car after the latter leave the holding rails of the track, and drop guideways at the upper end of said inclined track for coaction with the pivoting elements of the car to momentarily arrest the latter, cause it to descend and then release said car so that the latter is caused to swing through a somersault in space and beeome reversed, end for end, as it drops from the traek.

3. An amusement apparatus comprising a car, an inclined track having an outwardly and upwardlyiuclined portion and a landing so related as to cause the car after descending said inclined track to spring outwardly and upwardly, front end foremost, turn a complete somersanlt in space, in contra-carwvheclavise direction, and descend on such landing, substantially as specified.

4. In combination with a car having supporting wheels. holding elements and lateral guide elements, an inclined track having two sections separated by a space. and each provided with supporting rails for the said supporting wheels and holding rails for coaction with the said holding elements, the lower track section being also provided, at its upper end with upwardly, laterally-diverglng guide rails to coact with the lateral guide elements of ihe car as to cause the latter to alight upon the lower track after leaving the upper track, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a car having front and rear supporting wheels, front pivoting elements, front and rear holding elements, a track having downwardy-curved, 1e verselyhent rails for the supporting wheels of the ear. similarly-disposed holding rails for coaction with the holding elements of the car, pivoted terminal rails for said holding rails, an inclined track for coaciion with the front holding wheels of the car after the latter leave the holding rails of the track, and drop guidcways at the upper end of said inclined track for coaction with the pivoting elements of the car to momentarily arrest the latter, cause it to descend and then release said car so that the. 1a11er is caused to swing through a. somersault in space and become reversed, end for end, as it drops from the track.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

o'r'ro iInnnaNNf Witnesses J. W. GARNER, L. O. HILTON. 

